GREENFIELD — When the buzzer sounded March 9 and the New Palestine boys basketball team was eliminated in the regional championship game, it marked the end of the winter sports season in Hancock County.
Not even two weeks later, spring sports are here.
Eastern Hancock is scheduled to begin the softball season Thursday at home against Randolph Southern, and the other area teams and sports aren’t far behind.
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The 2018 spring season brought a state championship to Hancock County. We also saw sectional championships from the New Palestine softball team (the state winners) and the Mt. Vernon girls tennis team.
This spring could be even more successful for county teams. Thursday marks the first of several weeks’ worth of season preview stories in the Daily Reporter, but here are some things to watch for over the coming months of baseball, softball, tennis, golf and track.
Three-peat?
New Palestine enters 2019 as a back-to-back state champion in softball, and the Dragons have their eyes set on a three-peat. They begin the season ranked No. 1 in Indiana and in the Top 10 nationally, after finishing at No. 1 and No. 4, respectively, last year.
The biggest question for the Dragons is how to replace Miss Softball Ashley Prange. Keep your eyes on Michaela Jones, who will slide from catcher to shortstop to try to fill those shoes. Jones, a junior, was second on the team last year in batting average (.569), home runs (10) and RBIs (44), and led the Dragons with 15 doubles. She already has 17 career HRs and 70 RBIs and could see her hitting improve now that she isn’t behind the plate all game.
Six starters are back. Nine varsity letter-winners are back. New Palestine is poised to have another big season, but the schedule ramps up more than ever before. The Class 3A Dragons play 4A No. 1 Decatur Central on May 9, 4A No. 3 Center Grove on April 24, nationally-ranked Louisville Male on May 4 and several other ranked teams in 4A throughout the season as they prepare for a potential move to 4A next year.
Softball notables: Eastern Hancock is receiving votes in Class 2A and returns most of its core, lining up for a strong 2019 season. Nine members of the 2018 all-Hancock County team are back, with New Palestine returning five, Mt. Vernon bringing back two (Sydnee Perry and Haley Kissee) and Greenfield-Central (Sam Kihega) and Eastern Hancock (Faithe Webster) each returning one.
Throwing heat
After a 2018 spring that saw all four Hancock County teams fall short of a sectional title, area teams look to take a step forward this year.
Leading that pack are the New Palestine Dragons and Jack Walker — the defending Hancock County Baseball Player of the Year — who spent a large portion of last season ranked and start this year just outside of the Top 10. The Dragons lost to Cathedral, 5-3, in last year’s sectional championship.
Walker, recently ranked one of Indiana’s top prospects, has signed with Indiana University and is set for a strong senior season. The 6-foot-6 lefty led the county in batting average (.443), RBIs (40) and doubles (18) last year at the plate, and also was tops in strikeouts (77) and wins (6) on the mound. The senior has a fastball reaching into the low 90s and should be the Dragons’ ace this year.
Baseball notables: New Palestine and Greenfield-Central each return two all-county players (Walker and Colby Jenkins for the Dragons and Adam Hutchison and Nick Atwood for the Cougars), while the Marauders return one (Sam McCarty). Nine of 2018’s all-county players have graduated.
Seeking six
Mt. Vernon’s girls tennis team has won five straight county and sectional titles, and will be looking for a sixth straight in both this spring.
The Marauders have some key pieces to replace, as No. 1 singles standout Alaina Nelson and the No. 1 doubles duo of Olivia Spicer and Sophie Williams are all gone. Mt. Vernon was hit hardest by graduation among county teams, as Greenfield-Central No. 1 Lindsey McCord is the only other top singles or doubles player that has graduated.
Both Eastern Hancock and New Palestine should return almost their entire lineups, and the Dragons also return two seniors who advanced to regionals as a doubles team, Claire Cherry and Josee King. The Cougars have a majority of their lineup back as well. Look for the Marauders’ dominance to be challenged this year.
On course
It’s been 20 years since a Hancock County golf team has won a conference championship, but last year, the Mt. Vernon Marauders were close.
Mt. Vernon finished two strokes behind New Castle at the Hoosier Heritage Conference tournament, then finished second in the sectional, with New Palestine third and Greenfield-Central fourth.
The Dragons graduated one top golfer, Elijah Domogala, while Mt. Vernon graduated two — Max Heitman and Xavier Dunham. Most of Eastern Hancock’s season-ending top five graduated as well.
Look for Greenfield-Central to potentially make big strides this year, as the entire sectional lineup returns, including both Noah Mohler and Kyle Arrowood, who advanced as individuals to the regional round last year.
Back on track
Six Hancock County athletes that advanced to state a year ago are back and should be in position to make noise at the state level again.
New Palestine had a handful of athletes advance to state a year ago and return five of those, the most in the county by far. Kaylin Casner and Kendall Mann both advanced in individual events last year. Victoria Crowder and Sophia Taylor were part of the Dragons’ 4×400 relay team a year ago and are both back as seniors. Casner, Mann and Crowder all also advanced on the 4×800 relay. With Jordan Reid back at full strength, the Dragons should see more representation at state this year on the girls side.
On the boys side, Adam Lee, now a senior at Greenfield-Central, is back and looking to advance again in the pole vault. Drew Austin from New Palestine also returns for his senior year after advancing in the 1,600 meters a year ago.
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As spring sports begin, stay tuned to the following editions of the Daily Reporter for previews on the following teams and sports.
Thursday: Eastern Hancock softball
Saturday: Eastern Hancock baseball
Tuesday: Greenfield-Central baseball
March 27: Greenfield-Central softball
March 28: Mt. Vernon baseball
March 29: New Palestine baseball
March 30: Track and field
April 2: New Palestine softball
April 3: Girls tennis
April 4: Mt. Vernon softball
April 5: Boys golf
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